Reversible Foix-Chavany-Marie Syndrome in a patient treated for hydrocephalus

Abstract

The authors report the first known case of Foix-Chavany-Marie Syndrome in a patient with hydrocephalus that reversed with ventriculoperitoneal shunting. A 34-year-old x-ray technician with a history of pilocytic astrocytoma resection and radiotherapy and ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement as a child presented with altered mental status and nausea. She was found to have acute hydrocephalus. Post-operatively she did well and was discharged home. The next day she became acutely altered with anarthria, difficulty speaking, and stiff facial muscles. After multiple revisions, she slowly recovered to her pre-op baseline over the course of next 2 months. This is the first known case of acute hydrocephalus causing Foix-Chavany-Marie Syndrome. Additionally, we show that this unique syndrome is slowly reversible after treatment of hydrocephalus.